Where have we come from. My freshman year, 1966, we played Butler, Bradley, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, HILLSDALE COLLEGE, ISU, WIU, current MAC Akron, Ball State and CMU--but they were DII also, Kent (major college), who killed us at home (26-7, not too bad).

Now, we are in the Orange Bowl. Amazed what we have done.

my freshman year, 1998, i was helping to tear down goalposts to celebrate the death of the 23 game losing streak...now look at us!

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race."- Calvin Coolidge

Okay, Hillsdale, they are D3... and they are weird nowadays. No lie! I could tell you stories but I digress...

Wisc-Milwaukee --- basketball. But yes, NIU was in the MAC, left ... then came back. Basically what Temple will do in today's modern age. :)

All I have to say is this: Leguptopee's quote from Coolidge is actually so right. It's what we learn as kids... from our grandparents and what they learned. We don't want to be washed up... we don't want to be "those people". I read an article by a guy blasting NIU because it can make the MAC look bad if we blow it and lose big like Hawaii did -- and I see that.

US -- and yes, I include Champaign and all others in the midwest. We need this. If we win this... if we put it down to the wire... if we show the world what WE can do... all will be recognized.

Right now, I feel the same way I did when Kent, at the time overrated and feeling they win off turnovers (which to be fair; they do), played Rugters with one of the greatest D against the rush... and we won by 2 TDs and kept that give or take a TD, and ended up that way..... I want US, NIU to do the same. I want our Senior QB Mr V to be, behind Carder for WMU, who was statistically behind Harnish-but-roughly-as-good, to say "We can do this,".... I want our whole conference to be down there... I want to rush the field because it's not for us..... it's about US.

It's about making a statement. It's about saying, "Yes. We. Can. And We. DID."

(12-06-2012 11:36 PM)NIU70 Wrote:  Where have we come from. My freshman year, 1966, we played Butler, Bradley, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, HILLSDALE COLLEGE, ISU, WIU, current MAC Akron, Ball State and CMU--but they were DII also, Kent (major college), who killed us at home (26-7, not too bad).

Now, we are in the Orange Bowl. Amazed what we have done.

And the beauty of it is that all through this, we have had the urinal trough and the Paperback Grotto to provide stability and guide us through our lives. Who says we don't have traditions?

Walking up to the stadium for my first game I overheard how we were ranked dead last in the country. A pair of old WIU fan were sitting in the Dog Pound and no one really seemed to care. As expected we lost the game.

Well my first game involved G-Wolfe so yeah I guess I was a little more spoiled when I got to college. But I will say the 2-10 season sucked as a student! Still proud as ever now as an alumni to even see the growth from 2005 till now!

My first game was 1982...the first game I specifically recall was 1983 against BG.

The first time the goalposts came down, I was on the field and I helped carry for a short time.

Very proud of the fans and alumni that have stayed and supported NIU. You are truly the backbone of this program and you should be proud. We still have a long way to go, we need to be in the national discussions every year. NIU will be the Boise State of the midwest, no reason not to be. We have a great university, we will have solid facilities, and sitting in a recruiting hot bed. In my humble opinion there is no place to go other than UP!

(12-07-2012 10:17 AM)nnhsniuhuskies37 Wrote:  Well my first game involved G-Wolfe so yeah I guess I was a little more spoiled when I got to college. But I will say the 2-10 season sucked as a student! Still proud as ever now as an alumni to even see the growth from 2005 till now!

Imagine early-2006 season Garrett Wolfe in the backfield next to Lynch. #BestTeamInTheCountry

(12-07-2012 10:52 AM)clcfball11 Wrote:  

(12-07-2012 10:17 AM)nnhsniuhuskies37 Wrote:  Well my first game involved G-Wolfe so yeah I guess I was a little more spoiled when I got to college. But I will say the 2-10 season sucked as a student! Still proud as ever now as an alumni to even see the growth from 2005 till now!

Imagine early-2006 season Garrett Wolfe in the backfield next to Lynch. #BestTeamInTheCountry

That would be unfair. Must be something in the rule book about that.

(12-07-2012 10:52 AM)clcfball11 Wrote:  

(12-07-2012 10:17 AM)nnhsniuhuskies37 Wrote:  Well my first game involved G-Wolfe so yeah I guess I was a little more spoiled when I got to college. But I will say the 2-10 season sucked as a student! Still proud as ever now as an alumni to even see the growth from 2005 till now!

Imagine early-2006 season Garrett Wolfe in the backfield next to Lynch. #BestTeamInTheCountry

I dunno if I would put him or Turner on my "greatest Huskie team ever"

Maybe we should start a thread. Because, I am still not quite sure who I would start as QB... maybe Grady.

(12-07-2012 10:50 AM)MileHighHuskie Wrote:  Very proud of the fans and alumni that have stayed and supported NIU. You are truly the backbone of this program and you should be proud. We still have a long way to go, we need to be in the national discussions every year. NIU will be the Boise State of the midwest, no reason not to be. We have a great university, we will have solid facilities, and sitting in a recruiting hot bed. In my humble opinion there is no place to go other than UP!

Correct MileHigh. The quote from Coolidge was not intended soley for looking into the past,
or at the present, but also the future. This is the first BCS for the Mac. Many times the in life
the first things we do are not a success. No one (except maybe dogfan) came out of the womb
and began to walk. Someone has to be the fiirst and this time it is NIU.
The actual true measure is not and will not soley be this game. Just another step in a positive direction.
That is all one can do.
But don't get me wrong, I will still be pi$$in my pants in Fla. like I was in Detroit.....

This was my first season at NIU. 1986

1986-Northern Illinois (Independent)

8/30 vs. Ball State (6-5) L 10 20
9/6 @ West Virginia (4-7) L 14 47
9/13 @ Wisconsin (3-9) L 20 35
9/20 @ Iowa (9-3) L 3 57
9/27 vs. Western Illinois (non-IA) L 0 10
10/4 @ Miami (Florida) (11-1) L 0 34
10/18 @ Toledo (7-4) L 28 29
10/25 vs. Miami (Ohio) (8-4) L 6 20
11/1 @ Bowling Green State (5-6) W 16 8
11/8 vs. Eastern Michigan (6-5) W 21 14
11/15 @ Ohio (1-10) L 26 34
2-9-0
144 308

I went to the WVU game with the band. Awesome game. WVU had Major Harris at QB.

In the same season I went to the Iowa game. Iowa kicked off to us and 37 seconds later Iowa scored. 57-3. We have come a lonnnnnnnnng way since then!!

I started at NIU during our 23 game losing streak. My first couple years at NIU I went to the first game, stayed till halftime when we were getting blown out, and left not to return until the next year.

(12-07-2012 08:29 PM)NIUAlum90 Wrote:  This was my first season at NIU. 1986

1986-Northern Illinois (Independent)

8/30 vs. Ball State (6-5) L 10 20
9/6 @ West Virginia (4-7) L 14 47
9/13 @ Wisconsin (3-9) L 20 35
9/20 @ Iowa (9-3) L 3 57
9/27 vs. Western Illinois (non-IA) L 0 10
10/4 @ Miami (Florida) (11-1) L 0 34
10/18 @ Toledo (7-4) L 28 29
10/25 vs. Miami (Ohio) (8-4) L 6 20
11/1 @ Bowling Green State (5-6) W 16 8
11/8 vs. Eastern Michigan (6-5) W 21 14
11/15 @ Ohio (1-10) L 26 34
2-9-0
144 308

I went to the WVU game with the band. Awesome game. WVU had Major Harris at QB.

In the same season I went to the Iowa game. Iowa kicked off to us and 37 seconds later Iowa scored. 57-3. We have come a lonnnnnnnnng way since then!!

My first year too. As I recall, after getting destroyed by Iowa and losing at home to dII WIU, we went down to Miami (ironic?) to face a Jimmy Johnson led Hurricanes team that was thrashing the competition. I want to say Vegas wouldn't issue a line on the game because it would have been something like 63 points.

We've come a long way....

(12-07-2012 08:46 PM)Flying Corn Wrote:  

(12-07-2012 08:29 PM)NIUAlum90 Wrote:  This was my first season at NIU. 1986

1986-Northern Illinois (Independent)

8/30 vs. Ball State (6-5) L 10 20
9/6 @ West Virginia (4-7) L 14 47
9/13 @ Wisconsin (3-9) L 20 35
9/20 @ Iowa (9-3) L 3 57
9/27 vs. Western Illinois (non-IA) L 0 10
10/4 @ Miami (Florida) (11-1) L 0 34
10/18 @ Toledo (7-4) L 28 29
10/25 vs. Miami (Ohio) (8-4) L 6 20
11/1 @ Bowling Green State (5-6) W 16 8
11/8 vs. Eastern Michigan (6-5) W 21 14
11/15 @ Ohio (1-10) L 26 34
2-9-0
144 308

I went to the WVU game with the band. Awesome game. WVU had Major Harris at QB.

In the same season I went to the Iowa game. Iowa kicked off to us and 37 seconds later Iowa scored. 57-3. We have come a lonnnnnnnnng way since then!!

My first year too. As I recall, after getting destroyed by Iowa and losing at home to dII WIU, we went down to Miami (ironic?) to face a Jimmy Johnson led Hurricanes team that was thrashing the competition. I want to say Vegas wouldn't issue a line on the game because it would have been something like 63 points.

We've come a long way....

Jerry Pettibone asked Jimmy Johnson not to kick our ass, apparantly he agreed.

My sophomore year (1976) we finished 1-10. Our only win was against ISU, 7-3. I don't think we came close to winning any other games that season. You just knew if a game were close we would find a way to lose. Honestly, this year's NIU team won more games than the Huskies did combined in my four years of school.

Just a pleasure to watch the Huskies of the last decade. Some darn good memories beginning with 2002.

My first NIU game was in 2000. We beat Illinois State 52-0. I'm not even sure why I went. Thinking back it wasn't promoted very much. I was a freshmen living in Lincoln. I think we were just bored and decided to check it out. The rest is history. I've known only one losing season as a fan, but have been through a few heartbreaks along the way. We eventually turned the 50 yard line into a hot spot over the next 3 years. I remember having to wait in line an hour before the gates opened just to get our spots. Those were some fun times. I feel like old balls typing this.

Go Huskies!
2004 Alum

(12-07-2012 11:12 PM)niu79 Wrote:  My sophomore year (1976) we finished 1-10. Our only win was against ISU, 7-3. I don't think we came close to winning any other games that season. You just knew if a game were close we would find a way to lose. Honestly, this year's NIU team won more games than the Huskies did combined in my four years of school.

Just a pleasure to watch the Huskies of the last decade. Some darn good memories beginning with 2002.

That might have been the worse team ever. Outscored 56-366. Those numbers have been imbedded in my brain for 36 years.

Had pitchouts intercepted for touchdowns in 2 straight games (WMU and Long Beach St). I was at the LBSU game--in Long Beach.